Dr. Shelby Wyatt, a school counselor in the Chicago Public School system, penned an article entitled “The Brotherhood: Empowering Adolescent African-American Males Toward Excellence” originally in the August 2009 issue of ASCA (American School Counselor Association) about a program that he started in 2004 called The Brotherhood. Dr. Wyatt provides research from a review of the literature that provides the backdrop for the development of this program and why it was designed the way it was.

The literature suggests, “…racism, socioeconomic disadvantages, and oppression have an effect on the development of young Black males.” Furthermore, Black men in America require two crucial things for their socialization: education and job skills. Activities in this volunteer group include yearlong mentors and sessions that will enhance the participants’ ability to perform better in school through mentorship and informative activities. Improvement in those areas was the focus of The Brotherhood Program, and one way that they measured their participants’ success was to compare the cumulative grade point average of each year’s group with other males and females within the school. Results from such a comparison show at 16% increase in the cumulative GPAs from 2005 to 2008. The Brotherhood Program has been replicated in other Chicago schools and in other parts of America.

This is an example of what might be done in schools in your area. The article lists Dr. Wyatt’s email address as STWyatt@cps.edu